Instead of voting at their polling place on Elections Day, any registered voter
may choose to vote by mail (previously called absentee voting). Here are anwsers
to some common questions about Voting by Mail.
How Do I Vote by Mail?
The Elections Division must
have a signed request in writing for a Vote by Mail ballot in order to mail a
ballot to a voter. Ballots may be mailed anywhere in the world. Vote by Mail
ballots must be received by the Elections Division by 8:00 p.m. on Elections Day
in order to be counted. A post mark is not sufficient. The Vote by Mail ballot
envelope must be signed by the voter in order to be counted. The signature is
verified on every Vote by Mail ballot received by the Elections Division.
How Do I Request a Vote by Mail Ballot?
You will receive a sample ballot pamphlet in the mail
approximately 4-5 weeks prior to an election that you are eligible to vote in.
The back cover of the sample ballot will have an application to request an
Vote by Mail ballot. If you complete, sign and mail the application to the Elections
Division so that we receive it prior to the 7th day before the election, we will
mail your ballot to the address specified on the application. If you receive
your ballot at a P.O. Box, you must indicate your residence address.
It is not necessary to wait for your sample ballot to request an
Vote by Mail ballot. You may request a ballot on your plain piece of paper and mail
it to: Sutter County Elections, 1435 Veterans Memorial Circle, Yuba City, CA 95993 or fax
(530) 822-7587.
Please write legibly and include in your request:
- The election you are requesting a ballot for
- Your full name
- Your residence address
- The address you would like your ballot mailed to
- Your signature and the date of the request
- Telephone number (optional)
How Do I Return my Vote by Mail Ballot?
You may return your voted Vote by Mail ballot by mail, by bringing it
into the Elections Division or by dropping it off at any Sutter County polling
place on Elections Day.
If you are unable to return your ballot yourself, you
may have a relative (spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother or
sister) deliver the ballot for you. You must write the person's name who is
delivering your ballot on the envelope and that person also signs the envelope
upon delivery to the Elections Office.
Be sure that you have signed your ballot
envelope or we cannot count your ballot.
The Elections Division will begin mailing out requested Vote by Mail
ballots 29 days before the election and continuing until the 7th day prior to
the election. A voter may come into the office and pick up their ballot starting
on this 29th day. We will accept the voted ballot beginning on the same day.
Because of the mail time to get the ballot to you for you to mail
the voted ballot back by 8:00 p.m. on elections night, requests received after
the 7th day before an election will not be mailed out. After the 7th day a voter
is eligible to fill out a special request indicating that he/she will not be
able to go to the polls on Election Day and the voter can receive an Vote by Mail
ballot over the counter.
How Do I Determine the Status of my Vote by Mail Ballot?
To determine the status of your returned Vote by Mail ballot, you can either contact the Elections
Office at (530) 822-7122 or look up your status online at
Vote by Mail.
|
|